


Camomile

by Agogobell28



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Discord: Bellamione Cult, F/F, Fluff, Post-War, Same Age, THAW-verse, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25253248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agogobell28/pseuds/Agogobell28
Summary: Bellatrix awakes in the middle of the night to find Hermione out of bed.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black
Comments: 2
Kudos: 79





	Camomile

**Author's Note:**

> This, like my previous vignette from a few years ago, is set in a timeline where Bellatrix and Hermione are the same age.

She awoke to find the spot beside her in bed empty. The absence of the warmth to which she’d grown accustomed seemed to have drawn her out of her sleep. The room was still dark – it had to be what, two in the morning? – and the flat was quiet. Where was Hermione?

Bellatrix got up from the bed, went out to the kitchen, and — as she had predicted — found her girlfriend there. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, hands clasped around a large mug of what looked like tea; her face, downcast, was partially hidden by her brown hair. She was silent, and she didn’t seem to be drinking from the mug; perhaps the tea was still too hot...

Bellatrix stood in the kitchen doorway for a long moment, gazing, slightly bleary-eyed, at her love, and trying to figure out what was going on. “Hermione?” she said, in a low, quiet voice.

Hermione turned to look at Bellatrix. Even in the half-light, there was no mistaking the exhaustion on her face — not just sleepiness, but also a drained look. Had she been awake all night, thoughts racing?

“Bella?”

Hermione’s voice was equally quiet, but Bellatrix could hear a note of tension in it, and she immediately grew worried. She stepped lightly across the kitchen in a few brief instants and was soon at Hermione’s side. Kneeling down, she looked up into her love’s beautiful face and gently asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I... I don’t know. It’s work. It’s hard to say, I just... don’t really know what to do,” Hermione said. She took a tentative sip of her tea, but drew back quickly from the still-scalding hot liquid. Setting it back down on the table, she continued. “There’s so much wrong with the world... I’ve been trying so hard to get things through at work, and I’m getting nowhere. The preliminary house-elf rights bill, the corrections to the werewolf enforcement policy, the ABPS, nobody wants to touch any of it. And it isn’t even fun — I suppose it was never really _fun_ , in a sense, but I felt I was doing something right. And now it’s just exhausting and I hate it. I can’t push myself anymore. I suppose I can try, but the system just refuses to budge, so it doesn’t really feel worth it anymore.”

Bellatrix knew Hermione was having trouble at her Ministry job, but she hadn’t known quite how much of a toll it was taking. She put her hands on Hermione’s thigh, but didn’t say anything for several moments, since she couldn’t think of how to respond. Finally, though, she spoke. “Whatever you need, I’m here, love. I’m always here for you, and I’ll try to help in whatever way I can. Who knows what’ll happen — you might be making more progress than you think. But whatever it is, you’re... you’re not alone.”

Hermione gazed down into the face of her beloved, her eyes slightly moist. She didn’t say anything, but her expression softened gradually. Bellatrix took this as an opportunity to reach up and gently pull Hermione’s head down so she could kiss her. The kiss was soft, tender, brief, and still a bit sleepy, but felt perfect. “I love you,” continued Bellatrix, “and I’ll always be here for you. I promise.” Hermione’s eyes shone in the dim light, and as Bellatrix pulled herself up onto the chair beside her, she gave the dark-haired witch a small smile.

“What tea is that? Peppermint?” Bellatrix asked, returning the smile, but with a slight mischievous edge.

“Camomile. D’you want some?” said Hermione.

“Sure. I’ll make it myself though.”

“Of course.”


End file.
